Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze made an explanation on the new rules for replacing damaged multi-apartment residential buildings with new ones at the municipal meeting.

According to the changes, the municipality does not need the permission of the population for the construction of a new building in its territory. However, when the residents of the damaged buildings will move to this new building, their consent will be necessary.

"The change refers to the case when the municipality replaces the damaged houses not in the same area where the dilapidated house stands, but on another municipal plot of land. The municipality is constructing a building on an empty plot of land without the consent of the population because it is our property. This is our territory and we do not need consent.

In order to move the population from the damaged building to the newly built building, we obviously need their full consent, and we cannot make any exchange without their consent. If these people do not agree, we will offer the apartments to the residents of another building. How do you imagine that we can forcibly evict a resident from his property?" Kakha Kaladze said.